Nut runner accessory for power tool

Abstract

A nut runner accessory for a power-driven tool is provided. The nut runner accessory can include a gear assembly received in a housing. The gear assembly transfers an externally generated force to a driver head of the nut runner accessory. The driver head can include a plurality of stepped pockets that can receive and engage different sizes and/or configurations of nuts to be threaded onto/off of a threaded rod. The driver head can be counterweighted, to counteract imbalance generated due to an offset between a center of mass of the driver head and a center of rotation of the driver head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nut runner accessory for a power-driven tool, including:
 a housing;   an input shaft at least partially received in the housing, the input shaft having a first end portion configured to receive a rotary input torque from a power-driven tool;   a gear assembly received in the housing, including an input gear configured to receive rotary input from the input shaft, and an output gear configured to be rotatably driven in response to rotation of the input gear; and   a driver head coupled to the output gear of the gear assembly, wherein the driver head is configured to be rotatably driven about an output axis in response to rotation of the output gear, wherein the driver head includes:
 a base defining a slot having an open end portion; 
 a plurality of stepped pockets coupled to the base along the output axis, each stepped pocket of the plurality of stepped pockets including a base wall and a plurality of side walls extending upward from the base wall; and 
 one or more counterweight features defined on the driver head, wherein the one or more counterweight features are configured to move a center of mass of the driver head towards the output axis; 
 wherein at least one of the one or more counterweight features is defined by a radial wall thickness of the driver head adjacent the slot that is greater than a radial wall thickness of the driver head on a side opposing the slot. 
   
     
     
         2 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of stepped pockets has a different cross-sectional dimension corresponding to a nut to be engaged by a respective one of the plurality of stepped pockets. 
     
     
         3 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the base of the driver head is configured to be removably coupled to the output gear such that the driver head rotates together with the output gear. 
     
     
         4 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the plurality of side walls extends substantially orthogonally upward from an adjacent base wall; and   the plurality of side walls includes at least two side walls corresponding to at least two sides of a polygonal nut to be engaged by a respective stepped pocket of the plurality of stepped pockets.   
     
     
         5 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more counterweight features includes:
 a first counterweight feature defined by a first mass positioned at a first end of the plurality of stepped pockets corresponding to a first side of the open end portion of the slot; and   a second counterweight feature defined by a second mass positioned at a second end of the plurality of stepped pockets corresponding to a second side of the open end portion of the slot.   
     
     
         6 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the output gear includes a slot having an open end portion, corresponding to the slot having the open end portion defined by the base of the driver head, and wherein the gear assembly further comprises a first idler gear and a second idler gear positioned between the input gear and the output gear of the gear assembly, wherein
 at least one of the first idler gear or the second idler gear is configured be in meshed engagement between the input gear and the output gear as the output gear and the driver head coupled thereto rotate in response to rotation of the input gear.   
     
     
         7 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stepped pockets are formed in the base. 
     
     
         8 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stepped pockets is a first plurality of stepped pockets, the nut runner accessory further comprising an insert configured to be removably coupled to and rotate together with the driver head, the insert including a second stepped pocket. 
     
     
         9 . A nut runner accessory for a power-driven tool, including:
 a housing;   an input shaft at least partially received in the housing and configured to be to be driven rotatably by a power-driven tool;   a gear assembly received in the housing, including an input gear configured to be rotatably driven in response to rotation of the input shaft and an output gear configured to be rotatably driven upon rotation of the input gear;   a driver head coupled to the output gear of the gear assembly and rotatable about an output axis, wherein the output gear and the driver head define a slot having an open end portion; and   one or more counterweight features provided on at least one of the driver head or the output gear that are configured to move a center of mass of the driver head and output gear towards the output axis;   wherein at least one of the one or more counterweight features is defined by a radial wall thickness of the driver head adjacent the slot that is greater than a radial wall thickness of the driver head on a side opposing the slot.   
     
     
         10 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more counterweight features are configured such that a center of rotation of the driver head and output gear coincides or approximately coincides with a center of mass of the driver head and output gear. 
     
     
         11 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more counterweight features includes:
 a first counterweight feature defined by a first mass positioned at a first side of the open end portion of the slot; and   a second counterweight feature defined by a second mass positioned at a second side of the open end portion of the slot.   
     
     
         12 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 9 , wherein the driver head and the output gear are integrally formed. 
     
     
         13 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of stepped pockets coupled to the driver head, each stepped pocket of the plurality of stepped pockets including:
 a base; and   a plurality of side walls extending upward from the base.   
     
     
         14 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of stepped pockets has a different cross-sectional dimension corresponding to a nut to be engaged by a respective stepped pocket of the plurality of stepped pockets. 
     
     
         15 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of stepped pockets are formed in the base. 
     
     
         16 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 13 , further comprising an insert configured to be coupled to and rotate together with the base, the insert including the plurality of stepped pockets. 
     
     
         17 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 9 , wherein
 the driver head includes an elongated split tube having a substantially C-shaped cross-section, with a first driver engagement socket at a first end of the elongated split tube and a second driver engagement socket at a second end of the elongated split tube, and   at least one of the first driver engagement socket or the second driver engagement socket has an at least partially hex shape or splined configuration.   
     
     
         18 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more counterweight features includes a recess adjacent the side opposing the slot. 
     
     
         19 . The nut runner accessory of  claim 18 , wherein the recess is located in a side wall of the output gear.